diff --git a/src/Socket/socket.ts b/src/Socket/socket.ts
index 8ca7b1f..50b8b19 100644
--- a/src/Socket/socket.ts
+++ b/src/Socket/socket.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import { AuthenticationCreds, BaileysEventEmitter, DisconnectReason, SocketConfi
 import { addTransactionCapability, bindWaitForConnectionUpdate, configureSuccessfulPairing, Curve, encodeBigEndian, generateLoginNode, generateOrGetPreKeys, generateRegistrationNode, getPreKeys, makeNoiseHandler, printQRIfNecessaryListener, promiseTimeout, useSingleFileAuthState, xmppPreKey, xmppSignedPreKey } from '../Utils'
 import { assertNodeErrorFree, BinaryNode, encodeBinaryNode, getBinaryNodeChild, S_WHATSAPP_NET } from '../WABinary'
 
+const INITIAL_PREKEY_COUNT = 30
+
 /**
  * Connects to WA servers and performs:
  * - simple queries (no retry mechanism, wait for connection establishment)
@@ -172,30 +174,34 @@ export const makeSocket = ({
 
 	/** connection handshake */
 	const validateConnection = async() => {
-		logger.info({ browser }, 'connected to WA Web')
-
-		const init = proto.HandshakeMessage.encode({
+		const helloMsg: proto.IHandshakeMessage = {
 			clientHello: { ephemeral: ephemeralKeyPair.public }
-		}).finish()
+		}
+
+		logger.info({ browser, helloMsg }, 'connected to WA Web')
+
+		const init = proto.HandshakeMessage.encode(helloMsg).finish()
 
 		const result = await awaitNextMessage(init)
 		const handshake = proto.HandshakeMessage.decode(result)
 
-		logger.debug('handshake recv from WA Web')
+		logger.trace({ handshake }, 'handshake recv from WA Web')
 
 		const keyEnc = noise.processHandshake(handshake, creds.noiseKey)
 		logger.info('handshake complete')
 
-		let node: Uint8Array
+		let node: proto.IClientPayload
 		if(!creds.me) {
-			logger.info('not logged in, attempting registration...')
 			node = generateRegistrationNode(creds, { version, browser })
+			logger.info({ node }, 'not logged in, attempting registration...')
 		} else {
-			logger.info('logging in...')
 			node = generateLoginNode(creds.me!.id, { version, browser })
+			logger.info({ node }, 'logging in...')
 		}
 
-		const payloadEnc = noise.encrypt(node)
+		const payloadEnc = noise.encrypt(
+			proto.ClientPayload.encode(node).finish()
+		)
 		await sendRawMessage(
 			proto.HandshakeMessage.encode({
 				clientFinish: {
@@ -234,7 +240,7 @@ export const makeSocket = ({
 
 	/** generates and uploads a set of pre-keys */
 	const uploadPreKeys = async() => {
-		await assertingPreKeys(30, async preKeys => {
+		await assertingPreKeys(INITIAL_PREKEY_COUNT, async preKeys => {
 			const node: BinaryNode = {
 				tag: 'iq',
 				attrs: {
diff --git a/src/Utils/validate-connection.ts b/src/Utils/validate-connection.ts
index e2dabd5..62e0d79 100644
--- a/src/Utils/validate-connection.ts
+++ b/src/Utils/validate-connection.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import { Curve, hmacSign } from './crypto'
 import { encodeInt } from './generics'
 import { createSignalIdentity } from './signal'
 
+type ClientPayloadConfig = Pick<SocketConfig, 'version' | 'browser'>
+
 const getUserAgent = ({ version }: Pick<SocketConfig, 'version'>): proto.IUserAgent => ({
 	appVersion: {
 		primary: version[0],
@@ -29,23 +31,29 @@ const getWebInfo = (): proto.IWebInfo => ({
 	webSubPlatform: proto.WebInfo.WebInfoWebSubPlatform.WEB_BROWSER
 })
 
-export const generateLoginNode = (userJid: string, config: Pick<SocketConfig, 'version' | 'browser'>) => {
-	const { user, device } = jidDecode(userJid)
-	const payload: proto.IClientPayload = {
+const getClientPayload = (config: ClientPayloadConfig): proto.IClientPayload => {
+	return {
 		passive: true,
 		connectType: proto.ClientPayload.ClientPayloadConnectType.WIFI_UNKNOWN,
 		connectReason: proto.ClientPayload.ClientPayloadConnectReason.USER_ACTIVATED,
 		userAgent: getUserAgent(config),
 		webInfo: getWebInfo(),
+	}
+}
+
+export const generateLoginNode = (userJid: string, config: ClientPayloadConfig): proto.IClientPayload => {
+	const { user, device } = jidDecode(userJid)
+	const payload: proto.IClientPayload = {
+		...getClientPayload(config),
 		username: +user,
 		device: device,
 	}
-	return proto.ClientPayload.encode(payload).finish()
+	return payload
 }
 
 export const generateRegistrationNode = (
 	{ registrationId, signedPreKey, signedIdentityKey }: SignalCreds,
-	config: Pick<SocketConfig, 'version' | 'browser'>
+	config: ClientPayloadConfig
 ) => {
 	// the app version needs to be md5 hashed
 	// and passed in
@@ -68,9 +76,7 @@ export const generateRegistrationNode = (
 	const companionProto = proto.CompanionProps.encode(companion).finish()
 
 	const registerPayload: proto.IClientPayload = {
-		connectReason: proto.ClientPayload.ClientPayloadConnectReason.USER_ACTIVATED,
-		connectType: proto.ClientPayload.ClientPayloadConnectType.WIFI_UNKNOWN,
-		passive: false,
+		...getClientPayload(config),
 		regData: {
 			buildHash: appVersionBuf,
 			companionProps: companionProto,
@@ -81,11 +87,9 @@ export const generateRegistrationNode = (
 			eSkeyVal: signedPreKey.keyPair.public,
 			eSkeySig: signedPreKey.signature,
 		},
-		userAgent: getUserAgent(config),
-		webInfo: getWebInfo(),
 	}
 
-	return proto.ClientPayload.encode(registerPayload).finish()
+	return registerPayload
 }
 
 export const configureSuccessfulPairing = (